<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>#OhNoNiall by Eclarelover96</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25966408">#OhNoNiall</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eclarelover96/pseuds/Eclarelover96'>Eclarelover96</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Direction (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drunk Niall, Established Niall Horan/Harry Styles, Fluff, Italy, M/M, Narry - Freeform, Niall Horan/Harry Styles-centric, One Shot, Worried Harry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:35:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,569</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25966408</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eclarelover96/pseuds/Eclarelover96</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>His finger hovered over the Instagram button before he decided fuck it and opened the app. Harry went to the search bar and before even really thinking about it he was pulling up Niall’s profile. He wanted to see what Niall was up to, if he’d posted recently. And surprise surprise he had uploaded to his story if the circular hue of dark purple and light orange around his profile picture were anything to go by. </p>
<p>He didn’t notice it at first because he was admiring how good Niall looked in his workout clothes before focusing in on his leg. Harry dropped his phone on his face out of surprise and groaned in pain as it slid off his face and onto the bed. He scrambled to pick it up and clicked on Niall’s story again, zeroing in on his leg to assess the damage. He must have replayed it seven times by now to make sure that what he was seeing was real. The bastard. Leave it to him to find out through social media that Niall had somehow fucked up his foot. </p>
<p>or </p>
<p>Basically what ensues after Harry finds out about Niall's foot through his Instagram story.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Niall Horan/Harry Styles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>69</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>#OhNoNiall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was written before I watched Niall's instagram live with Ashe and found out what actually happened to his foot lol. I have no medical knowledge on sprained ankles so any misinformation is my own, as well as any mistakes/typos. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was like 2015 all over again. The last few months that the band were together Niall had a stress fracture that landed him in a boot for a solid nine weeks. Looking back he's not sure how he'd dealt with it for so long, especially considering they'd been in the middle of a world tour and promo for their upcoming album MITAM.</p>
<p>He supposes it could be worse as he's sitting in an examination room awaiting the results of his x-rays. There had been certain similarities to his last experience where he'd woken up to extreme soreness in his foot. Except this time around he knew what the root cause was. This part was more routine than anything and he was expecting to be in a boot far less time wise. </p>
<p>Niall's still in his workout clothes he'd put on that morning. A gray muscle tank and navy blue shorts. He hadn't gotten very far into his work out when he'd felt a shooting pain in his left foot. It took everything in him not to yell out in pain when he tried taking another step so that he wouldn't alert the passerby near him. He opted instead to the nearest bench and sat down. </p>
<p>He pulled his phone out of his shorts pocket and rang one of his friends that lived in the neighborhood in hopes of a ride back to his place. Within an hour he'd been taken to the nearest hospital. The waiting allowed him too much time to think back on how he'd injured himself in the first place but had initially written the dull pain off as nothing serious. He can see now that he'd been very wrong in ignoring the tell tale signs that were right in front of him. </p>
<p>Niall closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. The ticking of the clock was starting to get on his nerves. He was also trying really hard to respect the signs on the wall that asked patients to refrain from using their cell phones in the examination room. He sighed as memories of yesterday morning flooded into his mind momentarily.</p>
<p>Niall was broken from his reverie when the doctor knocked on the door and walked into the room. He straightened up in his chair and stood up as best he could to shake his hand. “Good morning Mr. Horan, I’m Dr. Hale. I’ve already taken a quick peek at your x-rays and I can safely say that you’ve sprained your ankle.” Niall nodded at the affirmation from his doctor as his own speculations were confirmed. </p>
<p>“It seems to be a grade II sprain. You’ll need to wear a walking boot from anywhere between 2-4 weeks depending on the speed your ankle heals. You will experience some discomfort and swelling for the first week or so. I’d recommend icing your ankle when you’re not wearing the boot and elevating it as much as possible. I’ll prescribe some painkillers for you as well which should help with the pain. Do you have any questions for me?” </p>
<p>This entire time Niall had been paying attention but he couldn’t find it in himself to verbally respond just yet. His mouth was set in a tight line as he absorbed the information being thrown at him. Although, he did shake his head to acknowledge the man in front of him who looked up from his clipboard for the first time since shaking his hand. He couldn’t help but drift back into his thoughts to the time when Harry had gone with him to his appointment five years ago (when he’d found out about his fractured ankle).</p>
<p>His doctor didn’t seem to take notice that he wasn’t actively hanging on to his every word like he seemed to think so. He was rattling on about the different types of sprained ankles and at home remedies. Niall just nodded along for another minute or so until he sensed the man’s lingering eyes on him and realized he’d paused to ask him a question. “Sorry, could you repeat that?” This was the first time he’d chosen to speak since entering the room. “How did you sprain your ankle?”</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>After another hour of talking with the doctor, having the walking boot put on, setting up an appointment for the upcoming week, and a set of papers in hand on at home instructions to follow Niall found himself finally settling into the comfort of his couch. He couldn’t be happier to be home after this morning’s fiasco with his ankle and an unplanned trip to the hospital. The friend that drove him there had miraculously been in the waiting room the entire time so he didn’t have to worry about a ride. </p>
<p>He’d taken the liberty of calling the pharmacy he lived down the street from in the car so it’d be ready in an hour’s time. His cousin agreed to go pick it up for him so that was one less thing to worry about. On his way into the house he’d stumbled a bit up the stairs because he still wasn’t used to the boot. His keys were carelessly discarded on the floor as he went straight for his bedroom to change out of his clothes. Before he did though, he couldn’t help but pull his phone out and take a short video for his Instagram story.</p>
<p>Niall decided this was the only way he’d address the topic, by laughing it off and smiling into the camera. He was standing in front of his mirror that led into the walk in closet and did his signature pose he usually did before his morning workouts. After posting to his story, he set his phone down and put on the comfiest pair of sweatpants and softest shirt he could find. He even managed to put away his clothes which he knew he’d be thanking himself for later. </p>
<p>The living room was usually his sanctuary; especially since the pandemic began months ago he’d practically moved into this room. It had his piano, where he spent countless hours writing songs from his first two albums, as well as new ones. His guitar, perched on the side of the couch, which he used during so many of his live streams after the first few weeks of Heartbreak Weather’s release. </p>
<p>The big screen TV he used to watch golf and entertain himself after he got bored of playing the piano or guitar (which hardly ever happened). Books that were scattered everywhere; on the coffee table, shelves, book cases, side table, pretty much any available space. He’d always talked about reading more but even with all the time in the world he still didn’t seem to get around to it much. This room had never felt cozier or more inhabited. Most nights he found himself drifting on the couch without wanting to get up to go to his bed. </p>
<p>Niall leaned forward and loosened the straps of the boot. Even though he didn’t have it on for long he wanted to ice his ankle as instructed by the doctor. After leaving his room he’d gone into the kitchen to grab some water, a pack of ice, and a snack. He had taken some pillows off the couch and propped them up on the coffee table before settling his ankle there and applying the ice pack. The coolness of it felt nice against his skin, but he still couldn’t help letting out a hiss of surprise. He leaned back into the cushions and muted the game that was playing on the TV. He allowed himself to be lulled back into a dreamless sleep as the soft music of one of his playlists he’d put on shuffle played in the background. </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Harry was bored. He tried so hard not to be, he was in Italy for crying out loud. After being stuck at home in LA for months he finally got to London and spent some time there, his restlessness having made him feel a bit wary. He should be in the midst of his world tour traveling around the globe; instead here he was vacationing in his Italy home. Once some of the lockdown restrictions were lifted Harry decided he needed a getaway of sorts and made the 19 hour drive. It felt refreshing to have a change of scenery.</p>
<p>So he couldn’t fathom why he could possibly feel bored under the circumstances and the natural beauty he was surrounded by. He’d gone out plenty to restaurants and to visit sights like a proper tourist in the weeks he’d been here. He’d even found a morning routine where he went for runs without being followed by many fans. There wasn’t anything in particular he felt like doing and found no motivation to move from his bed either. On a whim, he picked up his phone and scrolled through his apps. </p>
<p>His finger hovered over the Instagram button before he decided fuck it and opened the app. Social media was something he would normally stay away from only posting for tour related things and ongoing issues in the world. He was immediately hit with the newest posts on the top of his feed and alerted of notifications from the red dot under the heart tab. He spent the better part of an hour scrolling through his friend’s posts and commenting occasionally when something sparked his interest. It wasn’t until he was about to exit out of the app that an idea popped into his mind. </p>
<p>Harry went to the search bar and before even really thinking about it he was pulling up Niall’s profile. He wanted to see what Niall was up to, if he’d posted recently. And surprise surprise he had uploaded to his story if the circular hue of dark purple and light orange around his profile picture were anything to go by. He clicked on the picture of Niall in the top left corner of his profile and saw two parts to his story. The first had been a thank you from Hozier for a gift he’d sent after the release of Heartbreak Weather. The second was of Niall in front of his closet- but wait a damn second.</p>
<p>He didn’t notice it at first because he was admiring how good Niall looked in his workout clothes before focusing in on his leg. Harry dropped his phone on his face out of surprise and groaned in pain as it slid off his face and onto the bed. He scrambled to pick it up and clicked on Niall’s story again, zeroing in on his leg to assess the damage. He must have replayed it seven times by now to make sure that what he was seeing was real. The bastard. Leave it to him to find out through social media that Niall had somehow fucked up his foot. </p>
<p>It hadn’t been more than 48 hours since they’d last spoken and things seemed fine then. He didn’t mention anything about it. So it must have happened more recently. Harry couldn’t help but feel a little bit annoyed that Niall didn’t even bother to call or text him to let him know something had happened. He pushed those feelings aside as worry and concern ebbed in. Although, maybe it shouldn’t come as a complete and total surprise to him because he knew how Niall could be. He didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to himself or make a big deal out of things. But Harry deemed this worth mentioning and couldn’t help but gnaw at his bottom lip as he contemplated his next move. </p>
<p>During the course of quarantine Harry hadn’t been able to see Niall. At least not in the beginning. He was in LA finishing up some last minute commitments before tour started with the intent on coming home for his last few weeks off to see his family in Holmes Chapel. Things changed quickly when a new virus was announced to be spreading nationwide and everyone was put in lockdown. All flights had been cancelled and airports shut down. He was now stuck in California for who knows how long. </p>
<p>It turned out to be three months. Three long months of lounging around, writing songs, reading, exercising, and pretty much doing anything to pass the time. He was in London by the beginning of June and couldn’t be more excited to be back in the UK, his last stay having been in February. Harry’s first week back was a blur because he’d spent it unpacking, reorganizing his entire flat, and basically making the space livable again. He had groceries delivered to his door and limited all his interactions. The only time he really went out was for runs around his neighborhood or the park.</p>
<p>Which is why it was a bit of a shock when he received a message from Niall asking if he wanted to see him. The obvious answer was yes, but under the circumstances they hadn’t really discussed seeing each other in person yet. The original plan had been to have Niall accompany him to Holmes Chapel and spend those last few weeks together before they both left on their respective world tours. From then on out it would have been months until they got to see each other again. Harry decided to call Niall instead of texting him back and they both settled on a day later in the week. This brought about a new excitement in Harry. </p>
<p>He hadn’t seen Niall since a few days after the BRITs took place in mid February. Sure they FaceTimed, talked on the phone, and texted constantly, but it still wasn’t the same as being with each other in person. He’d even gone as far as watching his live streams to feel like he was with him. Their reunion had been anything short of sweet. Relearning each other’s habits and living with another human being again wasn’t an issue for them, they settled back into things quickly as if they’d never been separated in the first place. </p>
<p>It had been about a month and a half of being together before Harry decided he’d wanted to go to Italy. He would’ve felt worse about leaving Niall behind so soon if it hadn’t been for the fact that he was going to Spain around the same time as him leaving for Italy. Niall had this trip planned for months prior to quarantine with his friends and was set to come back a bit before Harry did, which they talked about and maybe he’d make a pit stop in Italy before returning home to London. </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Niall found himself well rested after a few hours sleep. He begrudgingly put the boot back on and figured he should have an actual meal before taking his medication. He grabbed his phone on the way into the kitchen and scrolled through his notifications, noticing that Harry had called him two hours ago. It completely slipped his mind to call him earlier. But if he’s being honest with himself, he’s trying to delay the process of having to tell Harry at all. He knows he’ll freak out and rush home for nothing. He also knows that Harry doesn’t go on social media very often so the chances of him looking at his story are very slim, he’s not worried about that.</p>
<p>He contemplates calling him back for another moment but decides against it and that it can wait until tomorrow. Once he’s had a chance to rummage through the fridge for some leftovers, he hobbles over to the microwave to heat it up and turns in the direction of the kitchen island. On the center of it he can see that his cousin had dropped off his prescription while he’d been sleeping. He leans forward to take the white paper bag off the counter and tips the contents of it forward into the palm of his hand. A small bottle rolls out and he squints at the miniscule print that has his personal information as well as a description on what his dose is and how often he should be taking it.</p>
<p>The microwave goes off a second later letting him know that his food is finished heating up. He sets the bottle down and goes to work in finding utensils for himself as well as a drink of water for his dry throat. Within half an hour he’s back in the living room after having eaten, taken his meds, and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Against his better judgment he’d taken a beer with him to the couch and snorted as the thought of Harry giving him a disapproving look if he were there flashed across his mind. </p>
<p>For the rest of the day Niall didn’t have much energy to do anything. He picked up his guitar occasionally or his phone to catch up with his friends and family. He’d set up an appointment to have his hair cut the following morning a few days ago and decided to keep it despite his sprained ankle. It might be good for him to get some fresh air after all. Plus, he wouldn’t be walking much, the barber shop was close enough to his house and he’d call his assistant to arrange a ride for him. </p>
<p>The next day was spent much in the same way. Niall had gone off to bed early in his own bed for once and gotten up just in time for his hair appointment. He was very glad he went because his hair had grown much too long and wild during quarantine, and his barber Larry King was a right laugh. Niall came back home and took his boot off to elevate it. The swelling hadn’t gone completely down yet. One of his friends came by with food from a local Thai place and they spent the afternoon catching up and watching movies. The distraction of having someone else around to help pass the time was very welcomed. </p>
<p>He had enough leftovers from their shared meal to get him through the next day. His friend had even been nice enough to help him tidy his place up a bit before leaving. With his medication in his system he started to feel a bit drowsy and thought a late afternoon nap might do him some good. The air was a bit chilly so he grabbed a throw blanket off the back of the couch and found a comfortable position to lie down. It wasn’t long before sleep overtook him once more.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>The digits on the clock right above the radio were starting to blur together. Harry had made the tread home with minimal stops and felt utterly exhausted after the nearly 24 hour trip. It took him all of five minutes to decide that he was coming back to London. No matter what Niall would have said, had he talked to him on the phone, he’d still head home to check on his boy. He had quickly packed the necessities and would find someone to send over the rest of his things. It was early evening by the time he arrived in Niall’s apartment complex and parked in the designated guest spot. Thank god he still had his key with him so he could slip in easily unnoticed. </p>
<p>By the time the elevator got to Niall’s floor he really felt the exhaustion starting to hit. Harry let out a sigh of relief once he was finally inside but was surprised to see that all the lights were off. It was far too early for Niall to have actually gone to sleep for the night. He took his shoes off by the front entryway and made his way down the hallway leading into the living room. This is where he’s most likely to find Niall since he’s taken to practically moving into this room in the last few months. And his guess is right. </p>
<p>There’s a faint glow flooding the room from the TV but it still doesn’t provide an ample amount of light to be able to see clearly. He can just make out the outline of Niall’s body that’s buried under a blanket and he can hear light snores coming from the other end of the room. Harry sets his bag down by the door and walks towards Niall. He doesn’t want to wake him just yet so he stands there for a moment watching as his chest rises and falls in even breaths. Even when he’s sleeping, Niall looks breath taking; Harry can’t help but think to himself. </p>
<p>He bends forward to brush some stray hairs out of Niall’s face and plants a light kiss on his forehead. He decides he’ll let Niall sleep for a bit more before waking him up since he doesn’t want to mess up his sleeping schedule too much. The last thing they need is him being up all hours of the night. Harry stood back up after another minute and did a quick sweep of the room. Not much had changed since he’d last been here a few weeks ago. Everything looked quite clean which shocked Harry a little. The last time Niall had his knee operated on years ago, the state of his apartment looked like a tornado had hit. Clothes and empty food containers had been strewn all over the place and if it hadn’t been for the boys’ routine check-ins, Niall might have disappeared under all that mess.</p>
<p>But Harry supposes that could be due to the fact that they were still teenagers when this happened. A lot of time has passed since then and they’d both grown up. He can’t help but shake his head when he sees the empty beer bottle on the table. It’s like Niall had done it to spite him even though he hadn’t been there when he drank it. He knew Harry would disapprove, especially because he figured Niall would be taking some kind of pain medication. And Niall should know better than to mix medication (even if it’s just pain killers) with alcohol. Harry would give him an earful on that later. </p>
<p>He shut off the television and proceeded to pick up the empty beer bottle and plates Niall had used earlier and walked into the kitchen to set them down in the sink. He walked around the rest of the apartment to see if anything else needed to be done and found everything to be pristine. Harry then went into the bedroom to take a quick shower. After a day’s travel he felt a little worse for wear. On his way into the bathroom he stepped into Niall’s closet and grabbed one of his shirts and sweatpants he’d left behind. He had to admit he felt so much better afterwards and planned on raiding Niall’s fridge next.</p>
<p>He ate in the kitchen in silence and once the dishes were dried and put away Harry made his way back over to the living room. He noticed that the throw blanket was twisted around Niall’s torso and the walking boot was poking out from the other end of it. Harry really hoped that Niall had elevated his foot and iced it like the instructions left on the kitchen island had said. As soon as his fingers wrapped around the ends of the blanket Niall’s eyes shot open. He didn’t expect him to wake up from such a light touch but was happy nonetheless when blue eyes met green. What happened next he really wasn’t expecting. </p>
<p>Niall let out a small yelp of surprise and shot up from his position on the couch. He subconsciously thought he felt the smallest movement shifting around him. He looked up in slight horror and found a figure looming over him. Because the room was surrounded in darkness he couldn’t tell who it was right away. Just that he wasn’t alone anymore like he had been before he fell asleep. He feels panic for the slightest moment but brushes the feeling aside because only a small amount of people have keys to get into his apartment. So it was no doubt one of his friends coming to check in on him. </p>
<p>The person standing above him gasped slightly in surprise and drew back from him to avoid a full on head to head collision. They must have lost their footing along the way because the next thing Niall knew the person was falling flat on their ass on the floor next to him. As the seconds passed his vision was adjusting to the darkness more and he tilted his head forward to see if they were okay. A slight groan escaped the person’s lips as they moved into a sitting position. The person held their hands up as if to surrender and now it was Niall’s turn to gasp. “Harry?” his fuzzy mind supplied. </p>
<p>He was met with his favorite pair of green eyes and a sheepish smile. “Yeah.” He responded after a short moment of silence. “What are you doing here?” Niall’s mind was racing. Harry was the last person he expected to see in his apartment right now. But that isn’t to say he wasn’t happy to see him. “To see you of course. I had to see for myself if you were okay, since I had to find out through Instagram that you’d fucked up your foot somehow.” There was a hint of hurt in his tone but he tried not to let it show. </p>
<p>Niall felt embarrassed almost at once. He put his head down, avoiding eye contact with Harry. He rubbed the back of his neck and when it was evident he wasn’t going to say anything Harry continued. “Sorry for scaring you, love. I was just trying to fix the blanket around you. I didn’t expect you to react that way.” Niall let Harry’s words mill over in his mind before responding. “It’s okay, you were only trying to help. I’m the one who should be apologizing to you since I didn’t even tell you anything happened. I was just so embarrassed and I didn’t think you’d go on Instagram anytime soon if I’m being honest.” </p>
<p>“Why were you embarrassed, love? It can’t be worse than the time I fell on stage in San Diego.” That got a good laugh out of Niall. Harry was ecstatic he’d made him laugh and shifted into a kneeling position when he still didn’t meet his eyes. He brought his elbow to rest beside Niall’s head while he used two of his fingers to direct Niall’s chin in his direction so he didn’t have a choice but to look at Harry. “Come on, it can’t be that bad.” He tried coaxing him again. </p>
<p>Niall shifted a little uncomfortably under Harry’s gaze and sighed before finally giving in. “Okay, so I was out with a few friends the other night. We’d had a few pints and were messing about. Mully and I were re-enacting that ‘I’m flying’ scene from Titanic, proper singing and all that. One of us had gotten up on a chair while holding the other, by the time we were both on it we’d lost our balance and fell. Mully landed on top of me and the way I’d fallen was at a weird angle for my ankle. We literally couldn’t stop laughing and I didn’t think much of it at the time.” Harry opened his mouth to speak but Niall gave him a look as if to say ‘I’m not finished yet’. </p>
<p>“A few hours passed and we were all beyond pissed at this point. The boys thought it a good idea to go outside into Mully’s backyard and dare each other to do stupid shit. It was Deo’s turn and Willie thought for some reason it would be hilarious to tackle him. Well I was standing a bit off to the side near the door FaceTiming someone when the next thing I know my phone is flying out of my hand, and everyone’s yelling at the same time. Turns out Willie smashed one of Mully’s massive planters and Deo and I somehow managed to rip the mesh screen clean off the door.” </p>
<p>“Oh no Niall.” Harry was trying his best not to laugh while still showing Niall some sympathy. Of course he felt bad, but you had to admit it was funny. Harry also knew he’d just landed himself in a spot of trouble if the look on Niall’s face was anything to go by. He knew uttering those three words haunted Niall. It had become an iconic moment among their fans and an inside joke in the band when Niall had fallen during the masters as he was caddying for Rory. He’d become an overnight sensation, being the root cause for memes, and multiple trends on Twitter the main being #ohnoniall which Liam and Louis even went as far as partaking in by trashing Niall’s car and posting the pictures online. </p>
<p>“You’ll never let me live that one down, will you?” Harry shook his head in amusement and continued to watch Niall. “You know the fans got that trending on Twitter again the other day when they saw my story? I nearly choked on my water when I saw it.” Harry snorted out a laugh at that. Their fans were quite literally the best in the world. He could only imagine the content they were posting as they speculated about his foot. If only they knew, he thought. </p>
<p>“I’m pretty sure one of boys got a video of the whole thing. When we went to get up, Deo and I were tangled in the mesh screen and kept falling over. It didn’t help that we were drunk and no one else tried helping us, they were all too busy laughing on the ground. But during one of those falls I must have rolled my ankle or something on top of ruining Mully’s damn door.” </p>
<p>“I need to see this video.” Niall thought he heard Harry say under his breath. “What?” he questioned him and received a, “Nothing,” in return followed by muffled giggles. A moment passed before Harry was up on his feet again and going around to the other end of the couch. “Okay, let’s see this ankle. When was the last time you iced it?” He didn’t wait for a response before going ahead and unclasping the straps of the boot. This brought him back to 2015 when he’d spent weeks doing the same thing he was at this very moment for Niall. After almost every show he’d make sure Niall rested his foot and iced it as needed. </p>
<p>“A couple hours ago. It’s still a bit swollen but gone down quite a bit.” Harry placed the boot beside the couch so that it was out of the way and they wouldn’t trip over it. “Have you been taking your medication?” Niall nodded in response. “Good. I’m going to get an ice pack for you. Do you need anything else?” Niall shook his head but beckoned Harry forward. As soon as he was within reaching distance Niall tugged him down by his shirt and planted a soft kiss on his lips, in thanks for Harry coming all this way just to take care of little old him. He felt Harry smile against his lips as he leaned back and placed a kiss on his forehead. He wordlessly got up and was back within a minute, placing the ice pack tenderly on his ankle. “Thanks H.” </p>
<p>“It’s not a problem babe; you know I’d do anything for you.” Niall’s heart actually melted at those words. Harry was the sweetest. And he loved him greatly for it. The blush that spread across his face didn’t go unnoticed by Harry like he’d hoped. “Oh Ni,” Harry laughed softly before moving up on the couch so he was sitting next to Niall, being mindful of his foot. He wrapped one arm around Niall’s waist while he used the other to stroke Niall’s cheek with the back of his hand. How he’d missed this. Missed him. Niall leaned into his touch and closed his eyes, letting out a little sigh of content. </p>
<p>A few minutes of stillness passed the two before Niall spoke up. “How was Italy?” He had a general idea of what Harry had gotten up to when they talked but he wanted to hear about his trip in greater detail. Harry launched into a series of stories of the places he’d been and the things he’d seen. Niall found himself enamored with the way Harry told stories so animatedly, using his hands to help paint a picture. These were the kinds of moments he loved. When it was just the two of them, it felt really intimate, like the world wasn’t trying to intrude on their privacy for once.</p>
<p>Niall realizes he’d spaced out for a minute when Harry’s looking at him. “Hm?” he asks in return. “I asked if you want to go to bed, love. You look tired.” Niall looked up at the clock and saw that it was only 9pm. But then it hit him that Harry had been the one to travel almost the span of an entire day with who knows how many stops. He was probably on the verge of exhaustion and only stayed up to take care of Niall and spend some time with him; which, again, confirmed just how sweet Harry was at putting others’ needs before his own. </p>
<p>“Yeah, let’s go up. Reckon you’re tired as well after the day you’ve had.” Harry just waved him off and continued to fret over helping Niall get upstairs. Once they’d made it up the landing Niall readjusted his weight so he wasn’t relying on Harry to fully support him. “You know you’re the best? Not everyone would go through all this trouble to take care of little old me. I really appreciate you being here H, it means the world to me.” Harry falters in his step for a moment before turning to Niall. </p>
<p>“Niall,” Harry began, taking a second to compose himself before going on. “You don’t need to keep thanking me. I want to be here. I want to help you in any way I can. It was my decision to come back. I understand why you didn’t want to tell me at first but I’m kind of glad to be back home. I’ve missed London, but most of all, you. Don’t get me wrong, Italy was nice, but I’d prefer this; spending time with you any day over a holiday I’ll probably forget about years from now. You’re my always and forever. You’re what I want to remember for the rest of our lives.” </p>
<p>He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Niall’s nose before moving down to his lips. He nudged Niall’s nose against his own to spur a reaction out of him. Niall closed his eyes and accepted the series of short and sweet pecks Harry was giving him. He wrapped his arms around his neck for a second and gave him one long open mouthed kissed before pulling back and resting his forehead against Harry’s. “I love you.” he whispered. “I love you too.” </p>
<p>Harry would have liked to stay in this moment with Niall forever; looking into his eyes and sharing tender touches and kisses, if it wasn’t for the fact that he didn’t want to exert any unneeded pressure onto Niall’s ankle. They walked the length of the hallway towards Niall’s room and started getting ready for bed, Harry making sure to take extra care of Niall. He laid out a few pillows where Niall would rest his ankle as Niall was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. In a matter of minutes they were both in bed, with the lights off, and the moon as their only source of light.</p>
<p>Niall was on his back, fidgeting slightly to find a comfortable position for his leg. He was trying not to move a lot so he wouldn’t bother Harry, but as soon as the thought crossed his mind, Harry sat up and leaned over him, adjusting and fluffing the pillows. “Better?” he asked with a soft smile and settled back down next to Niall. “Much.” Niall pressed a kiss on his warm cheek and allowed himself to smile as Harry put a hand around his torso and brought him closer to his own body.</p>
<p>Harry was lying on his side, studying Niall’s profile intently. He felt so much love and adoration for the person lying next to him. He couldn’t help but nuzzle his face into Niall’s neck and breathe in his scent. It was intoxicating. Harry could never get enough of Niall. He pressed a kiss below the shell of his ear and leaned in to whisper, “Love you.” He thought Niall had fallen asleep but then he’d heard the words echoed back to him almost immediately. Harry kissed the top of Niall’s head, then his lips, before finally settling into the bed and pulling Niall just a little closer to him.  </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>They slept for a solid twelve hours. It was a Friday and neither had intentions of leaving the apartment for next few days. Niall was the first to wake up of the two and figured he’d get a head start on the day. He put the boot on with practiced ease and went about his morning routine before going downstairs into the kitchen. He made himself a cup of tea and checked some emails on his phone as he waited for his toast to be done. Harry came downstairs as he was finishing up his second cup of tea. A slight pout was on his face when he came to stand in front of Niall.</p>
<p>“What?” Niall asked and couldn’t help but laugh at him a little. “I woke up and you weren’t in bed. I thought you’d be there so we could cuddle for a bit.” Harry was such a softie. “We can cuddle right here.” Niall offered and patted the seat next to him at the table, which had Harry’s own breakfast and cup of tea waiting for him. Harry hummed his approval and made a point to scootch his chair closer to Niall’s and puckered his lips for a morning kiss which Niall happily obliged. “Thanks for breakfast, love.” </p>
<p>“Of course.” The two sat in silence as Harry ate and Niall read the morning paper. Niall looked up from the sports section in time to see Harry scrolling through pictures on his camera roll from his Italy trip. He couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty. Even though Harry had reassured him that it was fine, that he wanted to be here, there was that small voice in the back of his mind saying otherwise. He went on looking at the pictures for another minute before deciding to speak his apology once more. </p>
<p>“I know you said your piece on this last night. But. I still feel extremely bad about you coming home early. I really would have been fine on my own until you got back when you originally planned. The boys would have dropped by to check up on me daily, I swear. And what about your stuff, it’s all just there? You had to drop everything because of me. And I was immature by not telling you in the first place, I’m sorry, really and truly, H.” </p>
<p>Harry’s head snapped up almost instantly from his phone when Niall began his little speech. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes as he sighed, leaning back in his chair and letting out an unabashed, “Nialllllllllll.” escape his lips. He reached forward and cupped both of Niall’s cheeks with his hands before saying, “Please don’t apologize babe. There’s seriously no need for it. Like you didn’t choose for this to happen and you should know I’d be here in a heartbeat for you no matter what the issue. I have no regrets coming back, I’d do it again. Now, stop feeling bad and let’s go do something.” Niall nodded and ignored the playful glare Harry sent his way after he pinched his cheeks and stuck his tongue out at him instead. </p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>The weekend flew by without much having occurred. Sundays were the couple’s favorite day since they slept in and made a point of spending it together whenever they had free time, which is why Harry protested when Niall announced he would be going out for lunch that day. “It’s with someone from my label Haz. It’ll be pretty quick. We just need to go over some things for tour dates that got pushed back to next year.”</p>
<p>Harry felt defeated. He knew Niall needed to sort this out. He’d done the same thing himself just last month and Niall had respected his meetings that took away from their time together. Despite it being for work though, Harry still didn’t want him to go. “What if you came with me, hm? Would that make you feel better?” When Niall could sense the slight hesitation in Harry’s expression he knew that it was about the aspect of them being papped together. “It’s in a low key café. The person from the label has a reservation so it would just be us and the servers. So no one would see us that way, yeah?” </p>
<p>Harry rushed to correct Niall. He had misunderstood his hesitation and didn’t want him to think for a minute that was the reason he wouldn’t go. He could care less if they were papped together. “No, it’s not that. I don’t care if we’re seen out together. I just don’t want to intrude. It’s your own meeting and you didn’t come along to any of mine. But that could also be because I didn’t ask you to come along. I wasn’t sure if you’d want me there.” </p>
<p>“Don’t be a twat. Of course I want you there. I just offered, didn’t I?” Niall countered and went on to say, “I’ll always want you with me H.” Harry blushed at Niall’s revelation but nodded nonetheless, sending a shy smile his way. They had a few hours to kill before getting ready and gladly spent it in bed, leaving briefly to shower. </p>
<p>Niall was coming out of the bathroom when he noticed Harry was standing in front of the night stand with Niall’s phone in hand, where he’d left it to charge. “What are you doing?” he asked but received no response. He walked towards him and saw over his shoulder that the WhatsApp groupchat he had with his friends was open and Harry was typing away on his keyboard furiously. “Harry!” Niall called out and watched in amusement as Harry jumped and turned around to face him, looking like a deer caught in headlights and as if Niall had appeared out of thin air. </p>
<p>“What are you doing on my phone?” Niall tried asking again. He didn’t mind that Harry was using his phone, it just surprised him because he hardly ever did, having too much respect for his privacy to ever go through it on his own. Harry threw his head back in a laugh and finally looked up at Niall, simply handing him his phone and walking off towards the bathroom without a word. Niall peered down and inhaled sharply. “You bastard!” he huffed and rolled his eyes, stalking towards his closet. He wasn’t actually mad. He just wanted to be dramatic because he didn’t expect Harry to do this.</p>
<p>He had messaged his friends asking for the video of Niall the night he’d gotten drunk with his friends. The audacity. The bastards he called his friends had rallied against him and indulged Harry in his request. Within seconds the groupchat blew up and they were taking the piss out of Niall for his fall. It was all lighthearted and he knew they were joking. But he didn’t actually think someone would go ahead and send it to Harry. He’d get them back later somehow, he decided. </p>
<p>Niall went with a simple black crew neck he’d tucked into his shorts that were paired with a belt, an unbuttoned button down (t-shirt length) and a white shoe on his uninjured foot, choosing to leave his hair unstyled. He thought it was dressy enough for the occasion, while still providing him with the comfort of not having to worry about the summer heat. The look wouldn’t be complete without posting his signature pose to his Instagram story. He was finishing uploading the video when Harry stepped out of the bathroom, howling with laughter. Niall figured he was watching the video his friends had sent him of his fall.  </p>
<p>When Harry did look up at Niall though, his jaw comically fell slack, stopping mid-step to take him in. “Babeeeee.” He groaned and didn’t waste time in approaching Niall, who still stood in front of the mirror. He came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his slim waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. “Why do you always look so good?" Niall laughed when Harry nosed along his shoulder blade and eventually up his neck, tickling him in the process. Harry dropped an open mouthed kiss behind his left ear and spun him around, dipping forward to smother Niall in a series of bruising kisses.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>